Anti-black Hate Rising

On Nov. 29, the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations released its findings on hate crimes in Los Angeles County for the year ending 2022. And to the dismay of over 9,000 residents, anti-black hate crime jumped 34% in L.A. County and 36% in the Santa Clarita Valley. This horrendous number goes on record as being the second largest number ever recorded.

While everyone should be shocked by this number, we unfortunately are not.

When NAACP Santa Clarita first came into existence in February 2021, it was on the heels of two disturbing incidents; a Black elementary school student being falsely accused of carrying a firearm, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department pulling long guns on (two) Black teenage assault victims (in 2020).

So, while it is heartbreaking to hear that Santa Clarita Valley hate crime against Blacks rose 36%, it was not news to our organization. In the last 34 months, we have received and documented no fewer than 30 disturbing incident reports of racist behavior, racial harassment, hate speech, and other threatening, intimidating, and immoral acts. Santa Clarita cannot ignore the fact that Black residents were the targets of 42% of reported hate crimes in 2022.

This is not a Black problem, this is a Santa Clarita problem, and we hereby call on the city to do more than just make or repeat hollow statements about standing for inclusivity or how diversity makes our city great. We call on the city to collaborate with us and other community leaders to come up with an action plan to stop and reverse the rise in hate crimes against the Black residents of Santa Clarita.

Valerie Bradford President, NAACP Santa Clarita Valley Chapter

Santa Clarita